Photo by George Milton
By: Nick Gambino
With everything already written about how to make a video that properly highlights your company’s brand, it’s unlikely this will be the final word on the subject. This doesn’t, however, mean that the information contained herein won’t be incredibly useful for those looking to dive head-first into video production. We’ll lay out the steps you’ll need to take to ensure you’re getting the best quality possible, without having to break the bank to pay for expensive equipment. There are several equipment options available to you, some that you probably already have access to, like your phone camera.
These video tips apply no matter the camera you decide to use. These are the basics that’ll help you in your foray into quality video production. If you want to know how to make a video, the best place to start is with an example of what you’re trying to achieve. Let’s look at one created by video production company NWT Media. The company operates in the Washington, D.C. area and primarily focuses on the creation of corporate videos.
Below you’ll find one of the videos shot and edited by the NWT Media team. The video highlights LEO Near Miss, an initiative that allows law enforcement officers to anonymously post and read about close calls while on duty that may have resulted in harm to the officer. By reading and sharing these stories others can go into similar situations with the knowledge of how to ensure a better outcome or, as the video tells us, “Lessons learned become lessons applied.”
The importance of this project meant that NWT Media needed to approach it with sensitivity while also conveying the emotion and weight of what they are doing. To do this, you want to start with narrative. This means you want to figure out what the story is. What is the video trying to communicate? What are the beginning, middle, and end? You can write a script if the dialogue is going to be read or performed. Or in the case of LEO Near Miss, you can figure out what interviews you need that will fit the narrative of the video.
NWT Media chose to begin the video with audio and graphic overlays that bring us into the world before telling us about the project. They proceed to tell the story through personal stories from active law enforcement officers and end it with a call to arms that reestablishes the project. For angles, they chose the common talking heads approach that sees the subject answering questions from an interviewer off-camera. This is very common and is used often in documentaries. If this fits your narrative, go for it. You might find you want to “break the fourth wall” and have the subject or speaker talk directly into the camera. This is fine too, as long as it fits the narrative.
No matter your angle, one thing you’ll notice, is that the camera is steady unless we’re trying to convey action. The use of a tripod allows us to focus on the subject and what they are saying without distraction. This might seem basic, but this is often something overlooked when making a video. The other common missing element is quality audio. Audio makes up a good 50% of a video and when it’s poor, boy do people notice. Invest in lavalier mics and try not to rely on your camera’s internal mic.
Once you’ve finished shooting your video and recording the necessary audio, you’re ready to edit. You can use any number of free video editing software like iMovie or Lightworks, but if you want something that won’t limit your creativity, you should pay for something like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro. Smooth editing and a few graphics will make your video pop and stand out among all the clutter.
And honestly, that’s about it. These simple tips will have your video production looking polished and professional.
